Sunday, August 20, 2006


This is the Great Amida Buddha (Daibutsu) of Kamakura, Japan. Built in 1252 AD, the statue is 13.35 meters tall and weighs 121 tons. For comparison, the Dainichi Buddha of Nara was built in 749 and is 15 meters tall (making it the largest Buddha statue in the world). Unlike the Nara Buddha, the Kamakura Daibutsu is completely out in the open, and susceptible to sun, storms, and snow. The Kamakura Daibutsu once had a surrounding temple complex, but the area was completely destroyed by a massive tsunami in 1498.

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